1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a slot machine and a playing method thereof in which an animation effect is outputted in case a repositioned symbol is dragged and dropped by a specific character.
2. Description of Related Art
In a conventional slot machine, a game is started by inserting gaming media such as coins or the like into a gaming machine. Once a game is started, symbol varying and displaying is carried out at respective symbol columns laid out in a predetermined region, and stop symbol varying and displaying is sequentially carried out after a lapse of a predetermined time. In case a resultant symbol combination coincides with a winning symbol combination, a prize is awarded.
As to the matter on whether or not a symbol combination coincides with a winning symbol combination, a judgment is generally made based on criteria such like whether or not a predetermined number of identical symbols (e.g., “CHERRY”, “7”, and the like) are positioned on a previously defined pay line. Other than the above criteria, there have conventionally been defined prizes to be awarded in case a predetermined number or more of identical symbols are displayed in certain positioning manner regardless of whether on a pay line or not.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,999B2 and US Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0065124A1 disclose slot machines in which video reels are used and fifteen symbols are displayed in a form of 3 rows×5 columns matrix. In the conventional slot machines, when a game is started, there will be carried out the following operations: spinning of reels is started; symbols in a same column are linked and symbol varying and displaying is carried out at each of the five columns; and when spinning of the reels is stopped along a lapse of a predetermined time, three-symbol are stopped and displayed in each of the five columns. In case a symbol combination consisting of a predetermined number or more of identical symbols is stopped and displayed on a pay line, a prize is awarded.